The Best of the Best

It comes as no surprise to many people that I have very strict standards as to what constitutes an excellent film score. Most of those standards can't honestly be written down in any form other than if a score moves me then it automatically gets bumped up to those higher positions.

This score is that. It is an amazing masterpiece written by Dario Marianelli, whom has risen to be one of my favorite composers just after having a very few scores in the mainstream. Those being "Pride and Prejudice", "V For Vendetta", and "Atonement". The one that I am reviewing now is "Atonement". So here we go...

"Briony" is one of those pieces that just hits you at all ends for several reasons. The typewriter used as an instrument just pops out at you and you just can't take your mind off of it. Then the syncopation that follows with every instrument is breathtaking to the very least. It actually can probably be one of the best opening themes ever in a film.

"Robbie's Note" presents the theme of the character Robbie. It is just pure beauty in its clarinet feature that just tugs at your heartstrings. Then to have the piano follow behind that with the cello accompaniment is brilliant within the entire morose sounding piece. I must mention that the pianist is the same one used in "Pride and Prejudice".

"Two Figures By A Fountain" presents the variation on the theme for Briony. The piano just seems to sense some form of nasty intrigue. It just seems to continue to drive the piece home with just frantic energy. It is very short but it gets the point across.

"Cee, You and Tea" harks to the theme of Robbie but it is presented in a manor to suggest a connection between Robbie and Cecelia. It is then followed by the frantic rhythmic sequence that seems to follow Briony's character throughout her youth. The atonal nature of the ending along with the typewriter is just stunning.

"With My Own Eyes" opens with the theme for Briony again and with the typewriter to add that amazing effect to the piece. It makes it seem more and draws you in. The rhythmic sequences are what moves me. To think that something like a piano or a violin can be used in such a percussive manner is genius and not often used effectively. When the piano and typewriter drop out, a typical symphonic orchestra is heard and continuing to hark to the original theme but with added tension. In many ways this piece feels like a driving force. It is minor in its key but it is hugely important for the film and can actually be considered as some form of foreshadowing and possibly a plot device for the entire film. The typewriter rhythmic sequence with a seeming half cadence is just a brilliant way to keep things moving.

"Farewell" is, if it is at all possible, a more morose version of the theme for Robbie. The tempo has greatly slowed to add dramatic effect on the piece as a whole. The adding of the harmonica is a great device used to further the point of a lonely man in a distant land. It seems to almost symbolize loneliness and travel. I think the composer used that to his advantage, the harmonica is playing all on its own and never with the orchestra but the orchestra does a answer to the harmonica's call in its melody.

"Love Letters" is one of those pieces that seems to get stuck in my head. I will hum the piano theme for hours. The combination of the piano and the cello just seem to resonate with me for some reason. It is simply moving on every level. The piece almost sounds like something from the baroque period but it isn't. It just is remarkable.

"The Half Killed" is one of the pieces that I would walk to class listening to, almost over and over. Yet again, I was an interesting college student. However, I think my reasoning behind it was that it is a very driving piece. The bass line almost resembles that of a plodding step. To have the piano break in unexpectedly it just drives everything forward into a breathtaking destination.

"Rescue Me" starts as another reprise of the theme for Robbie. It is very similar in feeling to the earlier piece "Farewell". This piece does have more strings in the melody that seem to bring a sense of absolute anguish to the surface. Everything about this piece seems to forecast some sort of pain, be it emotional or physical. Yet again, the piano and cello do have a part but not as involved in other pieces with the score. It has less chords and much more simplistic melodies.

"Elergy for Dunkirk" is my all time favorite piece in any film ever! It is quite literally the most played song on my iTunes almost 3 times as much as the next piece. The scene within the film is a wonderful long take (which I love) and to have this piece in the background it is amazing. The choir is stunning. The all male choir is being circled, quite literally. The sound of the choir follows the camera. This piece takes you through Dunkirk and the shore. It follows the camera wherever it goes which is actually remarkable for a score. Most just pick up on cue by a character or something, hardly ever just follow the camera, almost giving background music. I wish more films would do that. The effect is stunning.

"Come Back" is a piece that is titled by a piece of dialogue between the two main characters. The piece opens with a peaceful rendition of "White Cliffs of Dover". Then it just seems to have a seamless transition to the main theme that has followed Robbie around. It also is the first time in the entire score that there has been a meshing of the Briony theme and the Robbie theme. Both themes are very different but this is the first time that they have been brought into a single piece together. The typewriter comes in again to throw every person for a loop. The rhythm builds to a huge organ melody line that will quite literally take your breath away, the crescendo is maddening. After the organ dies down, the original theme comes back into play with this piece to add a nice little bookend effect to the piece.

"Denouement" starts off like most of the other pieces within this score. It has a slightly faster tempo than "Farewell" but it is very similar. This however is the first time that the harmonica is heard with an accompanying orchestra. Then the orchestra takes over where the harmonica left off.

"The Cottage on the Beach" starts off with the rather depressing sounding piano as the melody. I like the simplicity of the score but it can seem rather monotonous, like right now. Everything is sounding quite similar. However, most people would call that a downside, I don't, I can clearly see the scene in my head, which is what a score is supposed to do as well as move you emotionally in the correct way that the film is going. The way that it breaks away from the other pieces is the second half of the piece has an amazing piano section of progressing intervals.

"Atonement" is the typical end credit theme music with a twist. It has everything from the actual film but presented a little differently. It isn't like those annoying John Williams Harry Potter end credit things where you quite literally listen to the film score edited into something that will fit the entire length of the credits. It does follow the general conventions in that it is longer than most of the other pieces, but not by much. This piece wraps up the entire score into a nice little bow, which is nice and refreshing on so many levels.

"Clair de Lune" is included in the score because of a nice scene between the older Briony and a wounded French soldier talking about his sister and how she plays "Clair de Lune" well. This Debussy piece is probably one of his most well known pieces. I rather like this version. In the film it isn't in your face and playing while the conversation is going on, oh no. It is playing after the conversation and in a subtle way that true musicians can appreciate. If you know the piece then you would recognize it in the film.

This score has only one tiny little fault and that it is very similar to itself. There are barely 2 main themes within this score. I find it rather refreshing but others think that a score must have a theme for every main character. Not so. It only needs that when you think your audience is dumb as bricks. Well with basically every main stream American made film you get those kind of scores so, that's their target listening for their scores, a bunch of people who don't even understand that they are listening to music and watching a film at the same time.

I have taught this score in my private lessons. When this film came out I had my student come with me to see the film and she had to pick a way in which this score was different, a way in which Dario Marianelli utilized a non musical item and turned it into a musical instrument, and a way in which the cues were featured in the film. When I can teach a 15 year old about scores by using this one, it is a good day.


Happy listening,
FilmScored